Cuba - Will Celebrity re-think their Caribbean deployments ?

[boscobeans]

There is wide disagreement over who is a political prisoner, and almost all countries have political prisoners by someone's definition. But there is little doubt that Cuba does have a high number of political prisoners per capita (perhaps even higher under Castro than under Batista) and an atrocious incarceration ratio of 510 per 100,000 (but then again the incarceration ratio in the US is significantly higher at 707 per 100,000).

 

I too would like to see Cuba as a democracy, but I'm not holding my breath, as democracy is an all too rare occurrence in Cuban history. It certainly was not a democracy under Batista or any of the Presidents who came to power by military coups, nor was it when it was governed by future US President Taft.................. IMO this is a family food fight that has nothing to do with democracy and everything with who gets to control the goodies. And we, the US public, have been caught in the middle of this and lost our freedom to travel while being played for fools by people who are a lot more concerned about themselves and their own fortunes than they are about democracy, or with what is in the best interests of the US as a whole.

 

I don't know whether to laugh or cry

Thom

 

Excellent post. It is too bad that in most cases the honest and decent people of many countries are the ones to suffer from greed and exploitation.

 

bosco

[Big_G]

Canada, Europe, Asia and Latin America have many business dealings with Cuba and I think the Spanish hotel chain Melia would be very surprised to hear that the government and military were receiving all the money from their 27 luxury resorts in Cuba. As well as the Allegro, Iberostar and Brisas chains etc.

 

I think his point was that it's not beneficial to the Cuban people as much as the government and those corporations probably have no problem paying a premium to be there.

[Christine Frances]

I think his point was that it's not beneficial to the Cuban people as much as the government and those corporations probably have no problem paying a premium to be there.

 

If there is a premium it is small. We can go to an all inclusive hotel for a week in Cuba for much less than a week in Mexico. Maybe they have to pay a higher premium to the Mexican government;) Thousands of locals have jobs not only in the hotels but in the towns. I know we have many hotels here in Victoria but I personally don't benefit from them so I don't get this reasoning. I just think the people in Canada, UK Asia etc that have visited Cuba for many years have a different perspective of the island than people in the US:)

[Big_G]

If there is a premium it is small. We can go to an all inclusive hotel for a week in Cuba for much less than a week in Mexico. Maybe they have to pay a higher premium to the Mexican government;) Thousands of locals have jobs not only in the hotels but in the towns. I know we have many hotels here in Victoria but I personally don't benefit from them so I don't get this reasoning. I just think the people in Canada, UK Asia etc that have visited Cuba for many years have a different perspective of the island than people in the US:)

 

My comments are not an indictment of people visiting Cuba. I personally don't care but lets not forget it's a Communist country ruled by a dictator and not comparable to Victoria. By the way, you do personally benefit from the hotels in Victoria. You just take it for granted.

[DirtyDawg]

My comments are not an indictment of people visiting Cuba. I personally don't care but lets not forget it's a Communist country ruled by a dictator and not comparable to Victoria. By the way, you do personally benefit from the hotels in Victoria. You just take it for granted.

 

You obviously have not met Christy Clark.;)

 

(She's the Premier of B.C.)

 

Big_G is 100% correct about how all residents of Victoria benefit from the tourist industry in that city.

[Christine Frances]

My comments are not an indictment of people visiting Cuba. I personally don't care but lets not forget it's a Communist country ruled by a dictator and not comparable to Victoria. By the way, you do personally benefit from the hotels in Victoria. You just take it for granted.

 

I know the politics of Cuba. We also have visited Vietnam twice and 4 of us spent two wonderful weeks touring mainland China. I really don't see the difference. :)

[Big_G]

You obviously have not met Christy Clark.;)

 

(She's the Premier of B.C.)

 

Big_G is 100% correct about how all residents of Victoria benefit from the tourist industry in that city.

 

At the risk of being called chauvinistic, at least she's easier on the eyes than Raul Castro. ;)

[Christine Frances]

you obviously have not met christy clark.;)

 

(she's the premier of b.c.)

 

big_g is 100% correct about how all residents of victoria benefit from the tourist industry in that city.

 

lol:d But so do all the residents of Varadero, Cayo Coco, Cayo Santa Maria etc

Edited December 23, 2014 by Christine Frances

[DirtyDawg]

At the risk of being called chauvinistic, at least she's easier on the eyes than Raul Castro. ;)

 

Just don't let you're guard down around her......

 

......and keep a tight grip on your wallet.:D

[Big_G]

I know the politics of Cuba. We also have visited Vietnam twice and 4 of us spent two wonderful weeks touring mainland China. I really don't see the difference. :)

 

I'm not saying there is. I don't really want to debate the whole Cuba thing so I will just end my participation with, right or wrong, the US has a different perspective on Cuba because they have a larger vested interest than other countries for a myriad of reasons.

[DirtyDawg]

lol:d But so do all the residents of Varadero, Cayo Coco, Cayo Santa Maria etc

 

I'm with you on that one. Better to engage and have some benefit (not optimal by any stretch of the imagination) than not engage an have zero benefit. IMHO

Edited December 23, 2014 by DirtyDawg

[waterbug123]

Not if you're American. At least not yet. ;)

 

Americans can visit, just not as freely as they can visit other countries. But if you really want to go to Cuba now, you can. My parents visited a year or two ago. ;)

[boneatnik]

Hope to sail into Havana some day. Have looked longingly at this large island from afar for years and would love to see it's mountains and people.

[TLCOhio]

Hope to sail into Havana some day. Have looked longingly at this large island from afar for years and would love to see it's mountains and people.

 

Interesting discussions, comments and future dreaming here on this thread. Yes, the people are very special there in Cuba, especially given all of the challenges they have faced during the past 50+ years. Below are some of my visuals on Cuba from visiting there in March 2011. It was a totally amazing visit with so much history, charm, music, etc. there in Havana, plus seeing the western nature and eastern areas that we got to see and explore. Saw the area where the Bay of Pigs invasion happened (not a great pick on location from a military standpoint). Also saw the Varadero coastal resort areas with their many hotels that attract many from Europe and Canada.

 

Cruise ship visits to Cuba?: It will happen in the future, but there is so much there, including during the evenings, that just a one day, 8 am to 6 pm, as a normal cruise stop, will not do these many opportunities proper "justice". As a student of history and architecture, there is so much to experience in Cuba. I can share lots of the "politics" of Cuba, but this is not the right, best location for those discussions and debates.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 89,212 views for this posting.

 

 

So much of Havana is about the historic architecture, charm and character contained in the many part of this town that was the pivotal center of the Spanish empire in the "New World". Second is the Hotel Nacional de Cuba designed by the famed New York architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White. It opened in 1930. Many, many famous folks stayed here, including meetings of mob/mafia people as shown in the Godfather film. This hotel had been restored in 2001 when we visited there.:

 

 

 

 

 

One of the amazing highlights for being in Havana is going to see the outdoor entertainment program at the Tropicana. With about 200 entertainers, the cast is huge and very talented. Here is one of my photo examples from this spectacular music, dancing and singing program.:

 

 

 

Lots of outdoor "activities" can be seen in Havana, including these performers on the streets.:

 

 

 

We visited a cigar manufacturing location in Havana. Most interesting? The workers were paid based on both the quality and quantity of their daily production!! Sound very capitalistic?:

 

 

 

About seven miles outside of Havana, we visited Ernest Hemingway's home in Cuba. Called Finca Vigía (Spanish for Lookout Farm), it was his home from 1939 to 1960. It is now a museum and looks just as when he lived and wrote there. Nearby was the seaside village that ties in with the basis for his book "The Old Man and the Sea".:

 

[Christine Frances]

Great pictures Terry! Thanks:)

 

 

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